Beachy Keene or Beachy Keen?

A photo collage of our family this past September. I apologize to my sweet John that you're not included in this collage--you were the main photographer that day! :)

Oh, and the beachy "keene" reference? Of course, that's because mom and dad live in Keene! :) I do love me a play on words...

Enjoy!

Tricia

Family Faith and Fun

Hannah has no idea what is about to come her way--sheer driving madness! [insert evil laugh here!]

Hannah and Mommy "on top of Mountasia's mountain." Um, about 15 feet high or so. Only in TX do they call that a mountain! ha! BTW, see how tall Hannah is??!!

Grandfather Schnell, Hannah and Tricia on Lake Whitney outing

Hummingbird "imposter"

Well, goodness, I haven't posted in a while. Just thought I'd share a few pix along with what's been going on with us.

A few weeks ago, John, Hannah and I went to Mountasia, a putt-putt/go-kart place just north of us. We had such a fun time! I drove the go-kart with Hannah as my sidekick. What fun! She kept telling me I needed to slow down! ha! I think she mumbled something about "getting back at me when she turns 16!" Or something like that.

John won the 18-hole putt putt round. But just by one point. Hannah and I tied, just behind him. But for a while, Hannah was ahead of us all.

Then a week or so after that, mid-September, J, H, and I picked up Grandfather and stole away to a very low Lake Whitney. It was so low, it was kinda sad. Realized just how much we need rain this year. It's been crazy! We saw some lovely deer, even a buck, maybe half grown, according to how big his horns were.

Then toward the end of the day, we stopped off at at a different section of beach. We found a hummingbird and I took like 20 photos of it!! But alas, it was not a hummingbird, even though it hovered and "hummed" like one. It was an imposter, some moth that looks and acts like one. But still it was pretty and a nice way to end the day.

John's working like crazy with his four jobs. I pick up freelance work whenever possible, writing and editing both. But I mostly hold down the fort, help Hannah with her increasingly difficult homework. (I'm often having to ask myself if I'm smarter than a 6th grader. You don't want to know the answer to that! ha!)

I did start taking watercolor classes at Hobby Lobby and am having a blast. It's just a few dollars a week, I can't believe how cheap it is. And it gives me something to look forward to, something that my psyche has always needed, since I was very small, but just haven't been able to swing as an adult. It means so much to me to learn something I'm very interested in. That's partly why I haven't been posting too many creations lately because I'm busily learning to draw and paint better. It's a slow process, mostly because I'm such a perfectionist. But I'm having fun with it and it's actually an answer to prayer to have something that's "just for me."

Guess that's all for now.
Tricia

Hannah's birthday reprise

Hannah had a wonderful birthday--she celebrated about three times. First, the week before, mom and dad drove up and went with me to pick her up after school. What a happy surprise for her! Then to top it off, we visited a certain ice cream shop (the same one I have loved since childhood), and gave ourselves a terrific sugar high! (And special thank yous to Grandma Williams (sent lots of goodies) and aunts, uncles and friends who sent lovely cards!)

On her actual birthday (February 8), Hannah opened nine presents (from parents and grandparents), which included movies, clothes and her favorite gift, from mommie: a computer game that involves "taking care" of puppies, fun games that involve everything puppy. She has played the game just about every day since. (Note: $4 at Half Price Books--how I love a good bargain.)

However, we are very careful not to allow her to spend *too* much time on the computer, but it is a very sweet, innocent game. We make sure to go to the park a lot and go for walks; she also rides her scooter and plays with neighbor children. She knows it's important to get her exercise!

Daddy and Hannah made cookies on her birthday as well, and then both Daddy and I showed up Monday at lunchtime, cookies in tow, to celebrate her day with her classmates. She was very proud to say she had made the cookies. We even passed some around to other teachers and staff! I have a giving daughter...

Oh, one more thing: Hannah had wanted to go to Libby Lu, a very girly girl store located at most malls (turns out they went out of business). But everything about that store was pretty expensive, especially the "makeovers." No, they don't really use a lot of makeup and all, they just have young women in the store who will fix up a child's hair like a punk rocker, or princess or some such. Well, in the interest of teaching her to spend money wisely, I explained that that was something *I* could do for her, that she hadn't yet "tapped the potential" of her mother's hairstyling skills! ha! (I'm so modest.)

So that's what we did. We looked up cute kid hairstyles photos online and she picked out a very cute style, which I'll try to post (a photo of) here.

So there you go. The 9th birthday account down to the last detail. I know you can sleep soundly now. :)

All for now,
Tricia